A major disaster was averted yesterday when operatives of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency swiftly contained a petrol tanker accident at Odo-Oba, along the Oyo/Ibadan Expressway in Ogbomoso.

The emergency, reported by a concerned citizen identified as Felix at 8:45 a.m., involved a 45,000-litre capacity tanker conveying Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), which somersaulted and spilled its contents by the roadside.

Led by Chief Fire Superintendent (CFS) Dairo, the fire crew immediately deployed to the scene and applied chemical foam compounds to suppress the flammability of the highly combustible fuel, preventing a potential explosion.

Thanks to their swift intervention, no fire outbreak occurred, and properties worth millions of naira were saved. Reacting to the incident, the Special Adviser on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Fire Services Agency, Dr Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, commended the operatives for their professionalism and urged the public to remain vigilant.

“We must all be conscious of fire safety at all times. Every vehicle, especially those transporting flammable materials, should be equipped with fire extinguishers, and drivers must have emergency numbers saved on their phones.”

He further advised motorists to strictly observe road safety guidelines to avert preventable accidents, while residents were reminded to promptly report emergencies with accurate location details.